What is a…
sickle

The sickle of the Egyptians resembled that in modern use.

The word “sickle” appears in 4 Old Testament verses and 7 in the New Testament.

…when the grain is ripe, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. —Mark 4:29

Those farmers without livestock sometimes cut stalks high (near the ears) to minimize excess straw, while those with animals cut low for maximum yield.

There was also a sickle used for warlike purposes, more correctly, however, called a pruning-hook (Deuteronomy 16:9; Jeremiah 50:16, marginal note, “scythe;” Joel 3:13; Mark 4:29).

Figurative sickle in prophecy about the coming Great Tribulation period

The Apostle John repeatedly saw a sharp sickle in the hand of Christ and an angel in his visions recorded in the book of Revelation.

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the sanctuary, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sits on the cloud,

“Put in Your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.”

Then He who sits on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.

And another angel came out of the sanctuary which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.

Then another angel, the one who has authority over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.”

So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. —Revelation 14:14-19